Radar detector for pre-impact airbag triggering
First Claim
1. A radar detector for airbag triggering prior to a collision between a vehicle on a roadway and an impacting target object, comprising:
- at least one set of transmitting and receiving antenna means, each said transmitting antenna being longitudinally spaced apart from said receiving antenna means, wherein each said transmitting antenna is mounted to one side of a transverse centerline passing approximately orthogonal through the longitudinal axis of said vehicle and each said receiving antenna is mounted to the opposite side of said transverse centerline;
mounting means for adjustable support of each said transmitter antenna means and said receiver antenna means so as to provide a uniform bistatic antenna pattern coverage of one or more sides of said vehicle;
at least one set of transmitter and receiver means, each said transmitter means being electrically connected to a respective transmitting antenna, and each said receiver means being electrically connected to a respective receiving antenna;
means for detection of a signal out of said receiver means, said signal resulting from radiation from said transmitter antenna being reflected from an object adjacent the side of said vehicle;
signal processing means for continuous tracking of the position of said target object relative to the side of said vehicle;
computer means for continuous calculation of the predicted time and point of impact, andmeans for controlling initiation of an airbag at a predetermined time before impact between said object and the side of said vehicle.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A pulsed radar detector to be used for airbag triggering prior to a collision between a vehicle on a roadway and an impacting target object, has sets of transmitters and receiver separately disposed on a the side of a vehicle so as to create a bistatic antenna pattern. The transmitting antennae are mounted relative to receiving antennae so as to control the amount of direct radiation from each transmitter antenna and said receiver antenna so as to create a modulation of a received target signal. A signal processor determines the period of the modulation in order to obtain a measure of target velocity. The amplitude of the modulation is determined so as to have a measure of relative target size. Using this data, a computer continuous calculates the predicted time and point of impact in order to initiate release of an airbag at a predetermined time before impact between said object and the side of said vehicle.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A radar detector for airbag triggering prior to a collision between a vehicle on a roadway and an impacting target object, comprising:
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at least one set of transmitting and receiving antenna means, each said transmitting antenna being longitudinally spaced apart from said receiving antenna means, wherein each said transmitting antenna is mounted to one side of a transverse centerline passing approximately orthogonal through the longitudinal axis of said vehicle and each said receiving antenna is mounted to the opposite side of said transverse centerline; mounting means for adjustable support of each said transmitter antenna means and said receiver antenna means so as to provide a uniform bistatic antenna pattern coverage of one or more sides of said vehicle; at least one set of transmitter and receiver means, each said transmitter means being electrically connected to a respective transmitting antenna, and each said receiver means being electrically connected to a respective receiving antenna; means for detection of a signal out of said receiver means, said signal resulting from radiation from said transmitter antenna being reflected from an object adjacent the side of said vehicle; signal processing means for continuous tracking of the position of said target object relative to the side of said vehicle; computer means for continuous calculation of the predicted time and point of impact, and means for controlling initiation of an airbag at a predetermined time before impact between said object and the side of said vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method of radar detection for airbag triggering prior to a collision between a vehicle on a roadway and an impacting target object, comprising the steps of:
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providing at least one set of transmitting and receiving antenna means, each said transmitting antenna being longitudinally spaced apart from said receiving antenna means, wherein each said transmitting antenna is mounted to one side of a transverse centerline passing approximately orthogonal through the longitudinal axis of said vehicle and each said receiving antenna is mounted to the opposite side of said transverse centerline; mounting said transmitter and receiver antenna means with adjustable support means so as to provide a uniform bistatic antenna pattern coverage of one or more sides of said vehicle; connecting at least one set of transmitter means to a respective transmitting antenna and at least one set of receiver means to a respective receiving antenna; detecting a signal out of said receiver means, said signal resulting from radiation from said transmitter antenna being reflected from an object adjacent the side of said vehicle; processing the signal for continuous tracking of the position of said target object relative to the side of said vehicle; calculating the predicted time and point of impact continuously by computer means; and controlling the initiation of an airbag at a predetermined time before impact between said object and the side of said vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification